Political Wire

Re-Election Doesn’t Look Good for Vitter

· 30 Comments

If Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) loses the race for Louisiana governor next week, “there is buzz among Republicans in Louisiana and Washington that he would not run for reelection to the Senate in 2016,” the Washington Post reports.

“A loss in the gubernatorial contest would open him up to a serious GOP challenger, and it would be much harder to hit up the donors who have spent this year funding his campaign. Vitter only had $26,216 in his federal campaign account at the end of September.”

Sometimes Elections are the Luck of the Draw

· 12 Comments

Bill Shearon won the Bradenton Beach, FL mayoral race against incumbent Jack Clarke in a tie-breaker that was decided by a deck of cards, Bay News 9 reports.

“After a recount found the same number of votes for each candidate, officials used a deck of cards to determine the winner. Clarke, the current mayor, pulled a 10 of clubs, while Shearon, the former mayor, pulled an ace of clubs.”

Joshua Spivak notes Shearon was ousted from the job earlier this year in a recall election.

Dardenne Will Endorse Edwards in Louisiana

· 15 Comments

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne (R), one of three Republican opponents of John Bel Edwards (D) during the bruising gubernatorial primary, plans to endorse Edwards this morning in his race against Sen. David Vitter (R), the New Orleans Times Picayune reports.

“Endorsing a Democrat in a high-stakes general election carries significant risk for the Republican Dardenne’s future political career, particularly if Vitter is ultimately elected governor. But Dardenne has said he has no plans to run for political office beyond his campaign for governor.”

Red States Get Redder, Blue States Get Bluer

· 10 Comments

Washington Post: “The 2015 elections were rougher for Democrats in redder states, as they suffered a surprisingly large defeat in the Kentucky governor’s race, failed to win a majority in the Virginia Senate and saw voters thump an LGBT rights ordinance in Houston. But in blue states and cities, the party held or gained ground. As the parties head into a new presidential year, the country’s partisan divide has deepened. Republicans walked away from Tuesday with the big wins. Democrats walked away with fresh confidence that their map can win a third presidential election.”

Bevin Wins Race for Kentucky Governor

· 150 Comments

Matt Bevin (R) soundly defeated Jack Conway (D) in the race for Kentucky governor, the AP reports.

New York Times: “In beating his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway, Mr. Bevin surprised many in his own party, who believed that the climate in Kentucky was ripe for a Republican but feared that Mr. Bevin, a charismatic conservative with a go-it-alone style, was too far out of the mainstream and too inexperienced to win.”

Politico: “Bevin, a self-funding businessman who unsuccessfully challenged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a primary last year, overcame a funding disadvantage and Kentucky’s Democratic lean in state races to become only the second Republican to win a gubernatorial election since the early 1970s.”

The Bluegrass State Showdown

· 18 Comments

First Read notes today’s marquee contest: Kentucky’s gubernatorial race between Jack Conway (D) and Matt Bevin (R).

“Back in the summer, we dubbed the race possibly the Last Obama War, because it largely hinges on this question: Whom do Kentucky voters dislike more — President Obama or the Tea Party? (Of course, we could also see this same dynamic play out in the Louisiana gubernatorial race on Nov. 21.) The Conway-Bevin race also has a lot at stake, too — the future of the state’s health-care exchange (Bevin says he will eliminate it), Rand Paul’s Senate seat in 2016 (if Democrats win, we bet you they’ll be emboldened to find a challenger to Paul), and Kim Davis and religious also have been issues in this race.”

Final polling places in Kentucky close at 6:00 pm ET (in the eastern part of the state) and 7:00 pm ET (in the central time zone).

$1 Million Spent on School Board Race

· 8 Comments

Joshua Spivak: “Once again, a recall election is arguably the most fascinating election of the year. As opposed to some of the past famous recalls, the big one this year is for a minor political position: three School Board members in Jefferson County, Colorado, Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk. Yet we’ve already seen over a million dollars raised by recall proponents in what has to be one of the (though not the) most expensive school board races of all time.”

Vitter Spy Found Behind Air Conditioning Unit

· 24 Comments

The New York Times says the fundamentals still favor Sen. David Vitter (R) in the runoff for Louisiana governor — unless “bizarre developments” in the final 48-hour stretch of the primary prove damaging.

“The political world was astonished Friday night when news emerged that a private investigator conducting opposition research for the Vitter campaign was arrested in the New Orleans suburbs. The arrest arose from an almost comical sequence of events… According to Sheriff Normand, some in the group noticed a man who appeared to be filming their conversation with a small camera. When the man was confronted, he left the cafe and took off through the surrounding backyards. After a brief search, sheriff’s deputies found him hiding behind an air-conditioning unit. He was charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

More about Taegan Goddard →